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New York Giants vs. Las Vegas Raiders: 6 things to know

The New York Giants (2-6) host the AFC West-leading Las Vegas Raiders (5-2) at MetLife Stadium this Sunday afternoon.

Below are six things to know about Week 8.

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Raiders have released WR Henry Ruggs

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The Raiders have released second-year wide receiver Henry Ruggs III, the 12th overall selection in the 2020 NFL draft out of Alabama, after he was arrested and booked on a charge of DUI in a traffic collision early Tuesday morning in Las Vegas.

From NBC Sports Edge:

Ruggs is facing a felony charge for driving under the influence in a collision resulting in the death of a 23-year-old woman, a Category B offense in the state of Nevada with a minimum of two years in state prison and a maximum of 20 years. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police are conducting an ongoing investigation. It’s a stunning downfall for a 22-year-old 18 months removed from being the No. 12 overall pick of the draft. Ruggs has a long and winding legal odyssey of him before he can ever even think about playing football again. There is a strong chance this is the end of his NFL career.

The series

This is the 14th meeting between the Giants and Raiders since the NFL/AFL merger in 1970.

The Raiders lead the series, 8-5. The Giants have won three of the past four.

This is the first meeting between the two clubs since the Raiders moved from Oakland to Las Vegas two years ago. The last meeting was on December 13, 2017. The Raiders won, 24-17, at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.

The last meeting at MetLife Stadium was back in 2013. The Giants won, 24-20.

The Raiders coaching situation

The much-publicized departure of Jon Gruden on October 11 after his email controversy could have left he team in a lurch. But it has not. The Raiders are 2-0 since Gruden resigned.

The interim head coach is Rich Bisaccia, a long-time NFL assistant. Here’s a quick bio courtesy of the Raiders:

Bisaccia’s resume includes 19 seasons of experience as a special teams coordinator in the NFL with the Raiders (2018-20), Dallas Cowboys (2013-17), San Diego Chargers (2011-12) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2002-10). Bisaccia, now entering his 20th season as an NFL coach, spent the previous five seasons with the Dallas Cowboys as the special teams coordinator before joining the Raiders in 2018, including the last three with the added role of assistant head coach.

With a win over the Giants this week, Bisaccia would become the first head coach to win his first three games since Detroit’s Gary Moeller took over in midseason in 2000 and led the Lions to three straight wins.

The Raiders’ offensive coordinator is Gregg Olsen and Gus Bradley is the defensive coordinator.

Who's who on the Raiders

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

30-year-old quarterback Derek Carr is on a Pro Bowl trajectory, averaging 324.1 yards per game passing, second only to Tom Brady (331.3) in the NFL this year.

The running game is buoyed by a committee of Josh Jacobs, Kenyan Drake and Peyton Barber.

The top receivers this season have been Hunter Renfrow and tight end Darren Waller. With Ruggs gone, expect Bryan Edwards and Zay Jones to see more targets.

On defense, linebacker Denzel Perryman leads to the team in tackles, Maxx Crosby has five sacks and 19 QB hits and cornerback Brandon Facyson leads the team with five passes defensed.

Giants were quiet at the trade deadline

AP Photo/Noah K. Murray

The NFL trade deadline was like the dustbowl this year for fans and the media. Only one notable trade — Von Miller going from Denver to the L.A. Rams — took place.

The Giants, who many thought could part with a few impending free agents, sat on their hands. At 2-6 with some tough games ahead, many figured a fire sale was in order.

“You get a lot of calls bouncing around from other teams inquiring about either something they maybe want or something you’d be willing to move, things of that nature,” said head coach Joe Judge after the deadline passed.

“For us, we thought the decisions we made were the best for the team going forward, so we were good with just moving on with (the players that are here).”

Headset controversy put to bed

Sarah Stier/Getty Images

Joe Judge blamed a faulty headset for some of the Giants’ communications issues on Monday night in Kansas City. He attempted to clear that up on Tuesday.

“Let’s just clear it up real simple. We’ve talked with the league, they’re looking into resolving the issues that we’ve had throughout the year. We’ll talk continuously with them,” Judge told reporters on Tuesday. “That being said, I made it very clear last night, I’m not an excuse maker. I was asked a direct question in terms of why you weren’t (calling) timeout in certain situations and that’s the reason. That’s all I’m going to say about the headsets, so beyond that I’ll answer your questions about the Chiefs and moving on to the Raiders.”

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